Hospice Volunteers: Creating Legacies One Patient at a Time

When you think of a guardian angel, what comes to mind? Do you think of protection during danger? A guide? Someone watching over you? Who is your guardian angel? Terri Guillemets said, “Volunteers wear working boots, but leave a trail of angel footsteps.” To us at Heart ‘n Home, our Volunteers are a very special kind of guardian angels. Throughout their efforts, our Volunteers have left their angel footsteps in the hearts of our patients across Southwestern Idaho, Eastern Oregon, and Central Oregon. Minute by minute, hour by hour, mile by mile, each of them has changed lives and comforted our patients as they take their final journey in life.

Heart ‘n Home Volunteers are special people. They have a different perspective on serving the community. Each of them understands that there are two simple truths that exist with any thriving and successful society found in today’s world. The first is how we as adults take care of and teach our children. The second is how we respond and take care of our elderly population.

Those at the end of life have a significant impact on all of us through their stories. Through volunteering, our Volunteers ensuring that those who have come before us are not forgotten. Also, that those who helped us get to where we are today, are still valued. These brave individuals also provide us the opportunity to forget about ourselves and serve them. They are truly inspiring.

Throughout the history of Heart ‘n Home and the history of hospice, Volunteers have always been at the center of how we affirm the lives of our patients. We never would have imagined a time would come when it would not be safe to send Volunteers out and we would need to limit contact with our patients. That is where we have been during this COVID pandemic. In an effort to protect our patients, we have really limited the face-to-face contact with our patients to as few individuals as possible.

We have been incredibly humbled and in awe of the desire, each of our Volunteers has to serve. Many of them have looked for ways to continue to serve while our face-to-face visits are on hold. So many Volunteers have sewn masks, written letters, drawn pictures, put together flower arrangements, participated in drive-by parades, and so much more! Our Volunteers have brought smiles to our patients’ and communities’ faces during a time when too many people feel isolated.

From the bottom of our hearts each of us at Heart ‘n Home, says thank you. This month we have an opportunity to recognize you with National Volunteer Week – know that we do not think of you in anything, but angelic terms. We love our Volunteers. We honor them. We are privileged to watch their impact and know we could not do this work without them.

If you would like to know more about how you can make an impact by Volunteering with Heart ‘n Home, contact us today!